-38-
Model G0701 (Mfd. Since 9/17)
•
Straight Cutting: Use the largest width
blade that you own. Large blades excel at
cutting straight lines and are less prone to
wander (known as blade lead —refer to
Page
58 for more information on blade lead).
Tooth Style
Figure 48 illustrates the three main blade tooth
styles:
•
Raker: Considered to be the standard
because the tooth size and shape are the
same as the tooth gullet. The teeth on raker
blades usually are very numerous, have no
angle, and produce cuts by scraping the
material. As a result, smooth cuts can be
achieved without cutting fast or generating
more heat than other tooth types.
•
Skip: Similar to a raker blade that is missing
every other tooth. Because of the design,
skip-toothed blades have a much larger gullet
than raker blades, and therefore, cut faster
and generate less heat. However, these
blades also leave a rougher cut than raker
blades.
•
Hook: The teeth have a positive angle
(downward) which makes them dig into the
material, and the gullets are usually rounded
for easier waste removal. These blades are
excellent for the tough demands of resawing
and ripping thick material.
Raker
Skip
Hook
Figure 48. Main blade tooth styles.
Tooth Set
Two common tooth sets for wood bandsaw blades
are alternate and raker. Each different type of
tooth set removes material in a different manner,
leaving cuts with different characteristics (see
Figure 49).
Alternate
Raker
Figure 49. Common woodcutting bandsaw blade
tooth sets.
•
Alternate: An all-purpose arrangement
where the teeth are bent evenly left and right
of the blade.
•
Raker: Three teeth in a recurring group—one
bent left, one bent right, and then one that is
not bent. The raker set is ideal for most con-
tour cuts.
Tooth Pitch
Measured as TPI (teeth per inch), tooth pitch
determines the number of teeth. More teeth per
inch (fine pitch) will cut slower, but smoother; while
fewer teeth per inch (coarse pitch) will cut rougher,
but faster. As a general rule, choose blades that
will have at least three teeth in the material at all
times. Use fine-pitched blades on harder woods
and coarse-pitched blades on softer woods.
